Skip to main content

Share apps with users and groups

Learn how to grant access to Retool apps through groups and direct sharing.

There are two ways to grant users access to an app in Retool. They work together: access from all sources is additive, and users always receive the most permissive level they have across all sources.

MethodBest forRequires
GroupsScalable access for many users at onceBusiness or Enterprise plan
Direct sharingSharing with specific users quickly"Allow app owners to manage permissions" enabled

Groups​

Configure access on a group's Apps tab in Settings > Groups. All members of the group inherit that access. This is the recommended approach for most organizations: changes to group membership automatically update who has access.

See Groups for full instructions.

Direct sharing​

Direct sharing lets app owners share individual apps with specific users or groups without going through group settings. It is controlled by an organization-wide setting that admins must enable first.

Enable direct sharing​

  1. Navigate to Settings > Advanced.
  2. Under Permissions, enable Allow app owners to manage permissions.

Once enabled, any user with Own access to an app can open the Share modal from the app and manage who has access.

Use the Share modal​

App owners and admins can open the Share modal from the app header. From here, you can:

  • Add individual users or groups and set their access level (Use, Edit, or Own).
  • Remove direct access for users or groups you previously added.
  • View all users with access granted through direct sharing.

Admins see a complete view of all access, including access granted through groups. App owners see only directly shared access.

The Share modal showing direct access management
The Share modal showing direct access management

Who you can share with​

  • Organization members: Any active user in your Retool organization.
  • Pending invites: Users who have been invited but haven't accepted yet. They inherit the app's permissions when they join.
  • Groups: Any permission group in your organization.

You cannot share directly with external or embedded users via this modal.

External users (Retool Embed) can only be granted Use access. Edit and Own permissions are not available for external users.

How direct sharing interacts with group access​

Direct sharing supplements group-based access; it does not override it. If a user already has Edit access through a group and you grant them Use access directly, they retain Edit access (the most permissive level wins). To restrict a user's access below what their groups grant, you need to adjust their group membership.